A Christmas Release and an Excerpt!

By Kathryn Albright

I love autumn with a capital A! So I truly prefer to think about Christmas AFTER Thanksgiving. That said... my publishers at Harlequin have released my Christmas book, and so I do want you to be aware of it among all the hubbub as we approach the holidays!

A Western Christmas Homecoming contains three novellas that take place during the Christmas Season.  Christmas With the Outlaw, my story in the anthology, is the last book in the Oak Grove Series that I have been writing with Lauri Robinson. Oh my, how hard it is to say goodbye to the inhabitants of our dear fictional town, but I believe after seven books, it is time. Here's a blurb of the characters and plot...

Abigail White reports the news for the Oak Grove Gazette -- clearly, concisely, and ...rather critically, until the day outlaw Russ Carter stumbles through her back door, injured and seeking a place to hide.

Russ never expected to see Abigail again. She's all grown up now -- sharp, smart, and fascinating. Compassion is not her strength, but in this season of giving, a few elves are hard at work, and Abigail's own heart might just be the cost.

    ~  Excerpt ~ 

Christmas with the Outlaw
   

Russ drained the cup on his next sip. It wasn’t very big—a woman’s dainty, painted teacup. He was glad that she held it. In his hand, it might shatter. Well…maybe not so much now considering how weak he felt. He lay back against the pillow as a wave of gratitude washed over him that she’d been here…that Teddy had been here. “So… I made it to Oak Grove.”

“You wouldn’t have made it an inch farther. What in the world happened, Russ?”

He was still trying to sort that part out. “A lot. I…uh…appreciate you taking me in.” She hadn’t wanted to. He remembered hearing that much during a lucid moment.

Startled, she met his gaze. “Russ… Of course, you are welcome. We’ve had our differences, but I would never want you…”

“Dead?” He gave a half laugh to cover his frustration. His life had suddenly come undone. To hell with the teacup, his life was what was shattered, and he’d played a part in letting it happen. “We didn’t get on all that well, you and me. Guess you’re entitled to your own opinion.”

They were harsh words, but honest.

She avoided his gaze. Where was her patent keen retort? Her silence now could only mean one of two things. Either he’d been so near expiring that he really had frightened her or, which was more likely, her opinion of him was still mired in the mud. Unspoken, but heavy in the room, was their last parting.

She set the teacup aside. “How is Tim?”

So it was still Tim. He blew out a breath, a sense of unease weighting his gut. “He’s married now. Loves ranching. He and his wife are expecting their first baby.”

She pulled back, her composure stiff. “Then he’s content living in Colorado.”

“Abby. He wasn’t for you.”

She pressed her lips together. “That really isn’t any of your business. Then or now.”

Why was she still angry with him after all this time? Didn’t she realize that she had deserved someone who was more her match? Someone stronger, with more grit than Timothy. Someone a heck more like himself. “If he had really wanted to stay, he would have.”

“You’re implying I should be grateful that you whisked him away?”

“Yeah. Maybe you should.” Tim was too easily swayed. She would have been bored after a month of marriage. Russ figured he’d saved her from a pile of grief and he wasn’t one bit sorry about it. “It proved his mettle.”

A moment passed as she mulled over his words. “Teddy once said the same thing.”

“There you go.”

She met his gaze. “No one calls me Abby here. When we moved here, I asked Teddy to introduce me as Abigail. It’s more professional.”

“Hmph. I like Abby.” She’d always be Abby to him.

Amusement flashed in her eyes. “You would.” Then her entire demeanor softened as she lowered her shoulders. “I suppose I like it too. And Russ…I’m glad you felt you could come to Teddy…come to us for help. Friends are…so very important.”

As long as they don’t shoot you, he thought bitterly. How long had it been since then? “What day is it?”

“Early Wednesday. Morning has just broken. I found you yesterday in our storage room.”

Four days then. McCabe was shot on Saturday. Word would be out about him.

She studied him, her dark brows knitting together. “The important thing now is that you are better. You are going to be all right.” She stood. “I’ll see to some breakfast for us.”

He wasn’t used to having anyone worry over him—not since his own mother. Yet he couldn’t deny that it felt good to be among friends he could trust, friends who cared. “Sounds good. I’m starving.”

A wry smile formed on her lips, revealing dimples on each cheek.

He remembered those dimples. At thirteen, they’d been inconsistent with the rest of her sharp-edged personality and she hadn't showed them much anyway. Now? Hmm…

“Starving it is? Then you must be feeling better. Perhaps you won’t even mind my cooking.”

How difficult could it be to whip together toast and eggs? “You’ve got to be teasing.” And then it struck him. Abby? Teasing?

Her cheeks flamed pink. “No. Actually, I’m telling the truth.” She scooted from the room.

A Western Christmas Homecoming © by Harlequin Books & Kathryn Albright
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

Here is the back cover blurb about the other two stories
and a necessary caution since this is a blog site that caters to stories that are G-rated...  Since I haven't read these two stories I am unaware of their "sweet & clean" status, however Christmas with the Outlaw is rated G!

SNOWBOUND IN BIG SPRINGS  by Lauri Robinson

CHRISTMAS DAY WEDDING BELLS  by Lynna Banning
CHRISTMAS WITH THE OUTLAW by Kathryn Albright

Three festive stories ~ Christmas in the Wild West!

In Christmas Day Wedding Bells by Lynna Banning, buttoned-up librarian Alice is swept away by US marshal Rand Logan on a new adventure. Then, Welles is Snowbound in Big Springs in this novella by Lauri Robinson, where he must confront Sophie and their undeclared feelings… Finally, rugged outlaw Russ rescues Abigail from spending the festive season alone in Christmas with the Outlaw by Kathryn Albright! 

AMAZON | HARLEQUIN |  BARNES & NOBLE

Party for a Cause

by Shanna Hatfield

Today, I'm hosting a party over on Facebook called Cowboys and Christmas. Of course, you're all invited!

The reason for the party is primarily to kick off a campaign I hold each year called Read a Book, Help a Cowboy. It raises funds and awareness for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. If you've never heard of JCCF, it's a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to rodeo athletes who sustain catastrophic injuries that keep them from competing (and earning wages) for an extended period of time.  There are many things to love about JCCF, but one of the best: they contribute 100 percent of all donations to the athletes in need. No funds are extracted for administrative costs, etc. 

From November 1 through December 24, I donate a percentage of my book sales to the JCCF. For more detail, hop over to my website: http://shannahatfield.com/jccf

The party is also a time to gather some fun authors like our own Kit Morgan. It's four hours of fun, giveaways, games, prizes and awesome surprises. Seriously, you do not want to miss this!

And because it's party day, I'm offering a freebie! You can get the first book in the Hardman Holidays series for free!

Be sure to download your copy of The Christmas Bargain from Amazon!

One Old West Cinderella discovers

Prince Charming is a. . . Cowboy?

The death of her mother left Philamena Booth grieving and at the mercy of her drunken father. After spending more than a decade held captive on their run-down farm, she’s left speechless when her father strikes a bargain to settle a long overdue debt. In lieu of payment, a handsome cowboy agrees to take Philamena. Mortified yet relieved to leave the farm, she finds herself married to the charismatic, caring man.

Luke Granger might own Hardman’s bank and the fanciest house in the Eastern Oregon town, but he’d much rather be outside riding his horses or wrangling his herd of cattle than keeping his account books straight. In a strange, unsettling turn of events, he finds himself accepting a farmer’s daughter instead of money to cover a loan. If the man hadn’t threatened to sell her to the saloon owner, Luke might have refused. He has no idea what to do with the beautiful Filly or their marriage of convenience, but he’s about to get far more than he bargained for.

Full of Victorian and western charm, The Christmas Bargain is a sweet holiday romance filled with the spirit of the season.

Here’s an exceprt:

Luke grinned at her and wiggled his fingers. “Come on, Filly. It’s a little late to worry about propriety now, don’t you think?”

She took his hand and swung behind him, lacing her hands around his waist and leaning her head against his back. As they rode to the parsonage, Luke kept his hand resting on top of hers.

“I’d like to speak with you about your ride to the Jenkins farm,” he said, using his most official banker’s tone.

She should have known riding through town with her skirts up to her knees and hair flying would embarrass Luke. She was really going to have to work on behaving with more decorum. More like a proper banker’s wife.

He smiled and his icy eyes warmed to a liquid blue as he looked at her over his shoulder. “I’d like to discuss how enticing you looked with your skirts hiked up and your hair rippling behind you. I pictured you as some ancient Irish warrior queen riding into battle. Filly, my girl, you’ve been holding out on me by keeping all that glorious hair confined to buns or braids. I think we need a let-your-hair-down lesson to go along with our kissing lessons.”

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes. When Shanna isn’t dreaming up dreamy characters, twisting plots, or covertly hiding decadent chocolate from the other occupants of her home, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Newsletter | BookBub | Amazon | Pinterest

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple | Audible

Early Texas Towns and Cities—Farmers Branch, Dallas County

A community located fourteen miles north of present-day Downtown Dallas is known as Farmers Branch, Texas, but that wasn’t always so. The area was first settled in 1842 by three families—Thomas Keenan and his wife Sarah, Isaac B. Webb, and William Cochran--who received the original land grants. Remember, single men were awarded a headright of three hundred forty acres, and married men received six hundred forty.

Originally, the settlement included all the land between the Dallas County Line on the north, Cedar Springs to the south, on the east, White Rock Creek, and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River on the west.

In my new Christian historical Cross Timbers Family Saga series, book one GONE TO TEXAS, the four main families came from Tennessee and settled in what’s today the Irving area.

Just after these families arrive and stake the boundaries of their property (around seven thousand acres) in 1840, they met a new neighbor loosely fashioned after history’s Thomas Keen—Thomas Baldwin, a single man whose two sisters, their husbands and children arrived and staked their acreage off just north and east of our original characters in TEXAS MY TEXAS 1841—later Farmers Branch.

By 1842 the area was first called Mustang for the wild grapes that grew along Mustang Creek, so named for the wild horses present in the area. It was a part of Peters’ Colony—the name of four empresario land grant contracts issued by the Republic of Texas’ president Sam Houston, and later the State of Texas, to several groups of both English and American investors all headed by William Smalling Peters.

On August 30, 1841, it was Peters’ son-in-law Samuel Browning who actually signed the first contract. The fourth contract added ten million acres of land to the west, including all or portions of twenty-six additional counties. A county in Texas typically encompasses an area of nine hundred square miles.

Because the soil was so rich, and the crops plated flourished so, William Cochran changed the settlement’s name to Farmers Branch, and the little community became the best-known of all the Texas settlements from 1845 to 1850 as the Texan Land and Emigration Company advertised in the east and Europe for pioneers for immigrants to come and settle there.

The first church in Dallas County was organized by Farmer’s Branch founder Isaac Webb, with its first meeting held in Webb’s log cabin in March 1844. On May 5th, 1845, missionary Reverend Shook preached to five members at the cabin.

Webb donated the land for the church building and an eighteen-foot square log building was erected in 1846 called Webb’s Chapel. It also served as the areas first school house. Some forty years later, a frame building was built to house the Methodist congregation that still existed into the 1990s.
   
A Baptist minister, William Bowles started the area’s first blacksmith—his slave Jordan was the smithy—and a gristmill in 1845. Farmers Branch got a post office in 1848 with Isaac Webb serving as post master. It functioned until 1866, was closed, then re-opened in 1875. The first local cotton gin was built in 1849 by James A. Smith.

In 1874, early settler Samuel Gilbert and others sold right-of-way through their property to ensure the railroad would come through their little town. A few years later, the Dallas and Wichita Railway finished a track from Dallas to Lewisville—with a stop in Farmers Branch (depot built in 1877)—that was later taken over by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company in 1881.

By 1890, one hundred souls called Farmers Branch home.

BIO: Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory which is what she lives to do. Her award-winning, best-selling novels enjoy a lion’s share of 5-Star ratings from Christian readers around the world. With thirty-eight titles, it’s obvious she loves writing almost as much as singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen to a few at YouTube. She and high school sweetheart Ron celebrated fifty years of marriage in June 2018; they share four children and eighteen grandsugars. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door. 

LINKS : Author Pages: Amazon - BookBub - Simon & Schuster -      BookGorilla - Southern Writers Magazine - Sweet Americana Sweethearts /  

Website /  Newsletter / Influencers’ Group / YouTube (Hear Caryl sing her New Songs!) / Facebook /

Blogs: The Word & the Music - HeartWings (Devotional) / GoodReads / Google+ / LinkedIn /  

Twitter / Pinterest / Puzzle / Video Trailer  

Thanksgiving Receipts - 1868

Being the month of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share two receipts from 

Peterson's Magazine 1868 

(now remember, I haven't tested these receipts/recipes... so be careful)

Mashed Potatoes. – Mashed potatoes form a very common dish at English tables. This dish is generally, however, a kind of substitute, for the vegetable is seldom mashed unless it be so bad, when boiled, as to be uneatable, as is often the case. The ordinary mode of mashing potatoes is very unwholesome; it forms a greasy and often rancid compound in the stomach, so tenacious of the adhesive principle that the most robust powers of digestion can scarcely act upon it; and yet it is eaten by the most delicate females, who find themselves indisposed after it, but never impute their ailment to the potatoes, “which,” as they say, “never can do any harm.” Potatoes for mashing should be as nicely boiled as if they were intended to be eaten without further preparation; only they should be dressed a little more, though care should be taken not to let the water get into them. The farinaceous* part only should be used, and with it a small quantity of the freshest butter. It is customary in some families to brown with a salamander the top of a dish of mashed potatoes. This is by no means objectionable, though we are of opinion that by adding a little cream, and putting the mashed potatoes into the oven to brown them, a great improvement would be made. Mashed potatoes are also very nice if made up into round balls, covered with yolk of egg, and fried a light brown. They might with great advantage be mixed with some cold fish finely shred, and a little chopped parsley, then dipped in yolk of egg, and fried. In many families the cold remains of fish are often thrown away, which would answer this purpose extremely well, and form a very savory dish for the next day’s dinner. These two later preparations should be garnished with fried parsley.

Sweet-Potato Balls. – First boil the potatoes, then carefully mash the farinaceous* part. Boil, in the meantime, a pint of milk with some lemon-peel, a couple of small lumps of sugar, and a little salt. When the milk boils, take it off the fire, and add the potatoes, so as to form a paste, or rather a tolerable thick mash. When cold, make it into balls; cover these with crumbs of bread and yolk of egg. Fry them of a nice brown color, and serve them up with sugar strewed over them.

*farinaceous -  consisting of or containing starch

I imagine that Mrs. Hampton of the Hampton Boarding house in Bower, Colorado would find these receipts edifying and something to consider when setting her menu for fall. With the rivers nearby, there might be some nice fish to use in the suggested receipt for left over mashed potatoes.

Then again, with all of the people staying at the boarding house, I doubt that she'd have any left overs at all.

Home to Roost - on Amazon

Thanksgiving Dishes in Victorian America

by Kristin Holt,

USA Today Bestselling and RONE Award-winning Author

Dishes served at Thanksgiving Dinners in the United States has definitely changed over the years. We might think of turkey “and all the trimmings” as typical Thanksgiving fare... but is that accurate? What did our Victorian-era American ancestors see as a proper holiday feast?

Before we dive into the food, here's one little historical element I couldn't help but share. A full moon-- absolutely necessary.

A FULL MOON—A NECESSITY!

 

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, Louisiana on December 1, 1840.

Who knew?

And why on earth did a full moon matter? I’m guessing here. Completely guessing. “Over the river and through the wood, to Grandfather’s house we go”... Yes, grandfather’s. And yes, Thanksgiving. Not Christmas. The "High Offence", wherein Thanksgiving had no full moon, might have made for a dangerous drive home in the dark. In the 1840s, drivers might've had lanterns on their wagons, but travel was made infinitely safer by significant moonlight.

MENUS IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY

Note the few familiar items on the menu, but much of it feels like "fancy", but not "Thanksgiving":

• Bass Rayee a la Chambord (and the claret that goes with it)
• Venison with Jelly, boned turkey, cranberry sauce (and the champagne, extra dry, from 1871)
• Fillet de Boeuf a la Royale (and claret)
• etc...

The Plaza Hotel Thanksgiving Menu; The Las Vegas Gazette of Las Vegas, New Mexico on November 26, 1885.

Also in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the Depot Hotel served a "festive pig", "frolicsome turkey", "meek antelope", "together with the delicious fruits, toothsome pies, sparkling cider, and a large menu of delicacies..."

Depot Hotel Thanksgiving Menu, The Las Vegas Gazette of Las Vegas, NM on November 26, 1885.

In the following 1889-published menu, the Vermont Journal of Windsor, Vermont, suggests a breakfast (for Thanksgiving Day) as well as Dinner. Note the breakfast includes dishes like stewed oysters, broiled quail, baked sweet potatoes, and lamb chops. (Who'd be hungry for dinner?) Dinner includes Blue Points (more oysters), broiled smelts, sauce tartare, duchesse potatoes, ragout of mallard duck, escarole salad... oh, and roast turkey, among about 97 additional menu items.

A Thanksgiving Menu (breakfast and dinner), published in Vermont Journal of Windsor, VT on Nov 30, 1889.

Thanksgiving Menu: Lawrence Daily World of Lawrence, Kansas on November 23, 1895.

Notice the oysters on the Thanksgiving menu-- in Lawrence, Kansas. Oysters (and other seafood) were primary dishes offered in New England states and all up and down the Atlantic seaboards. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that with the train and refrigerated railcars came the availability of customary specialty foods--even in landlocked Kansas.

A decade earlier, also in landlocked Kansas, The Leavenworth Times of Leavenworth, Kansas noted "The Parsonage House Offers its Guests a Splendid Spread To-day", including "OYSTERS. Raw, Escalloped, and Stewed."

Parsonage House Thanksgiving Feast Menu in The Leavenworth Times of Leavenworth, KS on November 25, 1886.

St. Joseph's Union Hotel and Restaurant proudly served oysters, boiled tongue, roast loan of beef, roast turkey, and oyster dressing (and lima beans) for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for the pineapple ice cream.

Thanksgiving Menu at The Union Hotel and Restaurant; St. Joseph Gazette-Herald of St. Joseph, Missouri on November 29, 1900.

The following 1892 menu from Osage City, Kansas might not have offered oysters, but they did suggest "walnut catchup", as well as raisins and nuts. Another article I stumbled across commented that no Thanksgiving feast would be complete without raisins and nuts.

Suggested Menu in The Osage City Free Press of Osage City, Kansas on December 1, 1892.

AN 1895 COMPARISON OF "THE OLD AND THE NEW" THANKSGIVING MENUS

The Argus and Patriot of Montpelier, Vermont, compares "OLD and NEW Thanksgiving Dinners" on November 27, 1895. Part 1.

 

The Argus and Patriot of Montpelier, Vermont compares "OLD and NEW Thanksgiving Dinners" on November 27, 1895. Part 2.

Yes, oysters made the cut for both "old fashioned" and highly "new fashioned" (circa 1895). Note the requirement for "fancy": "The modern Thanksgiving dinner must be good and well cooked. It must contain a variety of dishes, but they must be dainty and have sauces and dressings and garnishings [sic] suggestive of the day."

I must say I LOVE the inclusion of ice cream in a modern-day Thanksgiving feast.

Might you be interested in other Thanksgiving articles I've written, about our Victorian-era ancestors? (click on the images)

Have you heard about my Thanksgiving-centered new release?

 

Learn lost more about Unmistakably Yours here.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Warm regards,
Kristin Holt
 

Copyright © 2018 Kristin Holt LC

Bachelors in the Old West

To some, the pleasures of courtship came far too late. Love failed to bloom, or fear overrode desire leaving in its wake a safe, though occasionally nervous unmarried man: the bachelor. His role in frontier society was well defined and embraced men from all walks of life, from dusty cowpokes to cranky Argonauts. When confronting a female presence they all seemed frozen to the spot. The prairies were huge and isolated. Without wife or family, the bachelor languished alone, or as many did, with other bachelors. Most did backbreaking work all day then had to do their own cooking and washing. Their only amusement the occasional card game or a trip to town. In town, there were gambling saloons and girls, but most men longed for the company of decent women.

The scarcity of women was particularly evident during dances. Square dances were popular back in the day and it was difficult to fill two or three sets with mixed partners. Men drafted to be women as dance partners wore handkerchiefs tied around their upper arms to reveal their "lady status." A reward of $0.25 per female was offered in the hope of finding women, but the money was seldom paid out. One Nebraska settler once quoted, "This is a lonely place for single women. There are a number of single men of marriageable age and nearly all have a bird in view as soon as they can get a cage ready. That is if a bird happened starts yeah ingenuity to our 5% to be flying in their vicinity.

Whether bachelor or married, frontier men maintained a complicated relationship with women. Some

were conversationally disrespectful and cavalier about women. Others simply wanted to wed and weren't particular to who. Thankfully most men were chivalrous, this being in large part to arrivals from the South after the Civil War. Their gentlemanly codes of behavior eventually were adopted as Western traits. There was nothing more precious than a woman's honor noted a French visitor, Alexis de Tocqueville, who upon visiting the West was surprised at the relatively esteemed position of American women compared with that of Europeans. British traveler Isabella Bird was impressed by the number of American men who leaped to their feet to offer her their chair. ha

The fact was, single men depended upon women. Who else could fix rips in their clothing and bake bread? "Batching it" did not come easy for men. The bachelor's meal lacked variety, especially when the bachelor was working in the field. One man, by the name of Anderson, would cook up a large kettle of oatmeal in the morning, eat some of it at noon and if there was any left in the evening, finish it for supper. Bachelors longed for dinner invitations and would go to any extreme to sit down in an actual family setting. 

You can read more about the life of bachelors in my new book, Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Comforts. Three brides. Three grooms. What can go wrong?

You can check out Dear Mr. Comforts on Amazon